Motorola MOTO U9 Review

Interface:
The U9 runs on the Linux-Java based OS, which is found in the RAZR2 V8, RIZR Z6 and ROKR E8. It is superior to the standard software used in other models of the manufacturer including all features, look and user experience. It is fast, the menus are logically structured and the interface looks ok. It lacks a ‘wow’ effect and will not really impress you with anything particular, but it works fine, which is very important.

Nothing will surprise you at the homescreen either. The top shows the system information, the four directions of the d-pad lead to functionality that can be personalized and the two soft keys are for shortcuts list and the main menu.



The last one can be visualized in three ways: 3x3 grid, vertical list or ‘spinner’ – horizontal list with large icons. Unfortunately, menu’s look isn’t affected by the theme selected, so if you don’t really like the design, you will have to live with it somehow – not so nice for a ‘pretty phone’. Both the main and the sub menus can be reordered. The latter represent vertical lists, showing seven fields at a time. The field selected increases in size, to be easily seen. All options have numeric index in the beginning, showing, which key can be used as shortcuts for them.


PhoneBook:

The phone can save up to 1000 contacts in total, each storing up to three numbers. All available names are shown in a vertical list, which has two optional visualizations: Thumbnail (with picture (if added) and phone number) or List, showing only the name. It is nice that one can select to sort by first or last name, but we are disappointed that search can be performed only by the first word in the name. Another nice option is that when inputting characters directly from the standby screen, the phonebook is searched for results in both the first name and the number. It is similar to the latest generation Sony Ericsson’s phones, but doesn’t include the call history.


The latter can be previewed for all/dialed/answered/missed calls and the ‘frequent calls’ menu is an unusual extra, showing the people you most often communicate with.


Organizer:

All of the PIM functionality is packed into the Office Tools menu. We will preview it in the default order. The File Manager allows you to browse the memory of both the phone and the card, and copy/move files from one destination to another. The Calendar can be previewed for month/week or day and has a lot of options when adding an entry. There are twelve event types (Meeting, Appointment, Anniversary, Birthday, Party and others), subject, location, period, notes, attendees and more. Only three alarms can be set at a time, but at least each one has its own settings for tone and recurrence. The world clock is also limited to three cities only, but has two visualizations options: a map view, or a larger digital clock. The calculator misses scientific options or real unit converter, but a single currency can be set, for easier calculation.